


Your dad is ok.

by summer_of_1985



Series: Star-crossed Lovers [1]
Category: The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: But Katniss falls in love, F/M, I Don't Even Know, Katniss and Peeta still go in the games, Mr. Everdeen lives, To be continued...?, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:55:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22135171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summer_of_1985/pseuds/summer_of_1985
Summary: After the mine explosion, Katniss's father manages to survive and pull through -keep Katniss happy rather than the stubborn, hot-headed breadwinner we've read and/or watched.
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Series: Star-crossed Lovers [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1593910
Comments: 4
Kudos: 58





	Your dad is ok.

**Author's Note:**

> _Prim was never reaped? Snow was 'convinced?' Mr Everdeen had not been killed in the mines? Peeta got the courage to speak to Katniss? Within Panem, change a pivotal point (or points) in the plot, and see where the story takes you._
> 
> Prompts in Panem, Tumblr.

Katniss was at school when she was told about the explosion in the mines. Her nose stuck in a book, doing her homework for that she got that day. Madge was sat across from her, also doing her homework.

A teacher walked over to Katniss, Madge looked up first and nudged Katniss' feet. Katniss was only 10-years-old, looking up at the teacher with her seam grey eyes. The teacher crouched and gave the little girl a weak smile.

"Katniss, there's been an accident at the mine," she started, and the book in Katniss's hands dropped to the floor with a loud thud, making the other students, librarian and Peeta Mellark look over at her (Peeta was already looking at her out of the corner of his eye). "Sweetie, your dad is ok,"

The tears that were welling up in Katniss's eyes diminished slightly, however, the small seam girl kept looking at the teacher with tears waiting to be shed.

"Let's get you home," the teacher spoke softly, holding their hand out, helping Katniss - who now felt like she was walking on water. Katniss handed the book back to the librarian (the teacher collected the tattered bag that Katniss had in her possession).

Peeta watched from over the top of his book, as Katniss was taken home, his heart was hurting for Katniss and the possible grief she would have to go through if her father died from any kind of after-effects of the mine explosion.

Peeta adored Katniss with everything he had, he would give up being a merchant for her, he would take beatings from his mother - just to make sure that Katniss survived another day. She was the only one for him, he didn't want anyone that his mother way set him up later life (that's if he didn't end up in the games...). 

* * *

Katniss's father was resting at home combatting a horrible fever and multiple broken bones from the explosion. Because of this, she was slowly losing weight. Katniss could shoot an arrow, but she wasn't an expert like her dad.

Peeta could tell that she was losing weight, after years of watching her - he'd been holding his heart out for her since she opened her mouth and sung in front of the class, that very first day of school.

She was curled up under a tree in the small schoolyard, picking at a slice of bread in her hands. Peeta was fiddling with the food in front, looking over his shoulder and saw Katniss under the tree.

He picked up the little amount of lunch he has (he may be from the merchant side of the district, but the bakery is by no means better off).

With a deep breath, he walked over to the tree and sat down next to the beautiful girl who owns his heart without her even knowing. Katniss Everdeen.

He handed over half of the food he'd brought with him from the bakery (essentially, it was just more bread...). She looked at the food in his hand, a very confused look on her face. "Why are you doing this?" Katniss asked those were the first words she had ever spoken to him. Her voice sounded like angels singing from heaven.

Peeta was trying to come up with something that didn't make him sound bad and that he pitied her. "After the accident in the mine, you've been struggling a lot, Katniss. You need it more than me," he says, knowing he's going to sound pathetic, but it's the only words that he could think of.

"I don't need your pity, or your charity," she pushes his hand away and continued to pick at her slice of bread.

"Katniss, it isn't pity," he said, holding the food out to her again - only this time he opened the palm of her hand and pushed the food into it. Peeta's fingers tingled from where they had contact with Katniss. 

* * *

Katniss's father was able to make a full recovery - he does now walk with a limp, but he was very lucky to be alive. There were a few men who had managed to survive the mine explosion.

There was a knock on the bakery back door, Peeta's father opened the backdoor, and stood there were Katniss Everdeen and her father.

"Phillip! It's good to see you up and moving," Peeta's father smiled at the kind man. Even though the man in front of him was the reason that the woman he had always loved ran away to the Seam to be with him. With the children that Phillip and Rose share, young Katniss and Primrose - Peeta had told him (as a young 5-year-old) that the pretty girl he'd pointed out that more sung like her daddy, and that he when he was grown up, he wanted to marry her.

"Honestly, Jackson, laying in bed day in, day out. That's just boredom," Phillip replied, his arm around Katniss's shoulders, she was curled up in her father's embrace - obviously terrified that she would have lost him. The was a game back thrown over his shoulder.

Jackson let out a short laugh and saw out of the corner of his eye - that Peeta was shuffling towards the door (obviously wanting to see Katniss). 

"In the mood for squirrel?" Phillip asked, reaching into his game bag and pulled out a decent sized squirrel, shot in the heart (which was unusual compared to Phillip's way of getting an animal directly in the eye).

A nod from Jackson, as he reached over for two loaves of bread (a usual trade between the two), that's when he saw little Katniss looking over at the cheese buns fresh from the oven - that Peeta had made. Which is also when he remembered what Peeta had told when the little boy was just 5-years-old. 

* * *

_Jackson could see his son peaking around the corner of the school door, as Katniss went running into her father's arms, Jackson could see the large grin plastered on her face. Stood next to Phillip was Rose, and little Primrose was gripping the fabric of Paula's skirt._

_The small family started to walk the dirt track back to the seam, Phillip carrying Katniss on his back as Primrose runs to catch up with the steps her mother takes._

_This was when Peeta came out into the schoolyard and wandered over to his father._

_"Peeta, my boy," a smile lightened Jackson's face, he may be stuck in a loveless marriage, but his boy's made it all worth it. "How was school?" He asked._

_"It's Katniss's birthday," is all Peeta said, looking at the fading image of Katniss Everdeen._

* * *

"A little birdy told me that it's someone's birthday," Jackson said to the little girl (Jackson knew that this made Peeta smile). 

Phillip put his hand on the top of Katniss's head, smiling down at his oldest daughter. Katniss nodded slightly, fiddling with her fingers.

"Yeah, my little Katniss, it's something you'll never forget. She came into this world kicking and screaming, and that's what she did this morning," Phillip joked, before looking down at his daughter. "The second the nurse or midwife, I can't remember, put her in my arms, I would move heaven and earth for her," Phillip said as a smile blossomed over his face.

Jackson looked over his shoulder at his youngest boy, remembering how he felt when Peeta came into the world. "Of course I know that feeling," Jackson smiled as well.

The baker turned around and grabbed a couple of cheese buns (that would go unnoticed by his wife) and a couple of iced biscuits. "Happy birthday, Katniss," he handed the treats over to the little girl - only having noticed that the two biscuits have a katniss and primrose flowers on them.

"Thank you," Katniss smiled meekly, taking the treats from the baker and looked up at her dad with a shy smile.

* * *

They were both 16 when the reaping for the 74th annual Hunger Games happened. Prim's name came out of the glass bowl. So, Katniss took her place in District 12's first-ever volunteer. Prim was in tears, having to be pulled away from the reaping area by Gale. There were also silent tears running down Phillip's face - a slight possibility that she may not come home.

"And now for the men," Effie Trinket spoke, walking over to the other glass bowl, and pulled out a name - then she read it out. "Peeta Mellark,"

Katniss looked over at Peeta, stood in the 16-year-old section on the boys' side of the reaping area. There was not a chance of Peeta's older brother, Rye, stepping in Peeta's place (it was his last reaping, and he was hoping for the hand of the tailor's daughter). Tears welled up in her eyes slightly, Peeta the baker's boy, she liked trading with Peeta - he often gave her more than what she thought was necessary.

Sweet Peeta who gave the young children cookies when his mother wasn't looking. Kind Peeta who wore his heart on his sleeve. Gentle Peeta who shared his lunch with her, even when she told him that he didn't need/have to. Lovely Peeta who had remembered when her birthday was, and always brought her a cheese bun or a frosted cookie.

Big-hearted Peeta, who was now going into the Hunger Games to die. 

* * *

The first people to walk into Katniss's room to say goodbye, was her parents and Prim. The young girl ran to her sister in tears, begging her not to go.

"She has to," Phillip said, walking over to his oldest daughter and wrapping her up in a hug when Prim finally let her go. "You have to win this, Kat. You have to, I don't want to lose my little girl," he said into her ear, cradling the back of her head like he did when she was a baby.

"I'll try, daddy. I'll try," Katniss said, holding onto the back of her dad's best shirt (the one he only wore for the reapings, and his wedding anniversary).

"I love you, Kat," Phillip told her, holding her face between the palms of his hands and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

A single tear rolled down Katniss's cheek. "I love you too, daddy," 

* * *

Katniss and Peeta were shipped onto the train, along with their mentor Haymitch and escort Effie. Then the train sped off, leaving their home of District 12 in the dust. The two tributes looked at the coal dust covered district that they loved - it may be divided horribly into those from the town and those of the Seam.

Effie sent the pair off to go get changed, Katniss looking down at the dress she was wearing - one of the few that her mother brought with her before she married her dad.

Katniss rolled her eyes and did as she was told. The voice in the back of her head (which sounded a lot like her father) told her to respect these two who would help her through the games. 

* * *

"I hear you can shoot," Haymitch says to her, making Katniss look up from her plate. She could see Peeta looking at her out of the corner of her eye.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm alright," before eating more of the stew - she didn't know what it was made of, but it was nice.

"Alright? My father buys her squirrels," Peeta says, making Katniss look over at him with raised eyebrows, her father had been teaching her for years how to use a bow and arrow. "She gets them right in the eye, every time," 

Katniss crinkles her eyebrows, how on earth did he know that? It was only in the past year or so that she was able to get an animal in the eye. Unless her father has been passing on the eye-shot animals as hers...

"Peeta's strong," Katniss said, her hair flying around - loose from its braid - as she looked over at Haymitch.

It was Peeta's turn to look over at Katniss confused. "What?" He asked.

"He can throw a hundred-pound sack of flour straight over his head; I've seen it," Katniss said, not even looking at Peeta. This was until he spoke.

"Okay, well, I'm not going to kill anyone with a sack of flour," Peeta replied. They almost had a shouting match, before Peeta excused himself from the dining table and walked away. 

* * *

There was a knock on Peeta's door, and he allowed access to whoever was on the other side. On the other side of the door, was Katniss.

"Hi," she said, sounding fairly meek and having a small smile on her face. Peeta likes seeing a smile on her face, it makes her glow, her eyes sparkled and there was a little dimple under her mouth which made itself know. Katniss is his dream girl, she was the only person he wanted to be with. He'd heard of people going near the Slag Heap - where all the leavings of the mines are, and doing things that Peeta couldn't even imagine.

"Hey," Peeta answered, a pencil spinning around in between his fingers. There were a couple of sheets of paper in front of him.

Katniss walked over to him and sat near his feet. "I'm sorry for what I said," she said, giving him a soft smile.

"It's ok, Katniss. I just know that I'm not going to win this," Peeta said. 

* * *

When it was announced that two people could win from the same district. Katniss grabbed a backpack from the cornucopia and ran off in the same direction that Peeta did (she tried to find him for a long while, before having to go sit in a tree and keep an eye out for her boy with the bread).

She became allies with young Rue from District 11 and avenges her when Marvel kills her. Katniss stays with her until she dies, covering her with flowers and singing her the Valley Song.

She looks around, Peeta was always on her mind - she knew he wasn't dead, she'd kept an eye on the dead tributes of the day that were projected in the sky.

She collected her bow and arrow, as well as the backpack of supplies, and went looking for him. She followed the stream and a small trail of blood. Peeta's blood, which broke her heart. She never said a word, with other tributes looking to kill.

She found him, buried under rocks and leaves by the river bank - his artistic talent, he'd been able to camouflage himself into the bank.

"Oh my God! Peeta!" She collapses to the bank beside him, taking his face in her hands. She smiles at him, he lifts his head, as Katniss helps pull him up and into her arms. "How long have you been here?" She asked him, pulling twigs and leaves from his hair.

"After you dropped that nest," he answered after Katniss handed him her canteen of water to clean his face.

She looked at the boy, shocked. "Peeta, that was 6 days ago!" She exclaimed, he'd been alone for almost a whole week. That's when she saw his leg. "Peeta," she sighs, putting her hand over the horrible slash.

He cringes, and Katniss tries to rack her brain on how to tend to his leg. Then she remembered the burn medicine she was given from her first parachute - she cleans away the blood, cringing slightly as the wound continue to weep. She tries to remember some of the plants that her mother and Prim told her would heal someone.

She reaches over for the canteen and removes the string that held some kind of film around it. This is how she keeps the leaves against his cut. "Prim and mom know more than what I do. I wish I'd listened now," Katniss sighed, falling onto her shins, her boots digging into the backs of her thighs.

Peeta smiles up at Katniss. "It's ok, I would have died if it wasn't for you," he tells her.

"Let's get you up," she says, reaching for his hand and gently heaving him up. She threw the arm on the side of his injured leg over her shoulder, and they hobbled away from where Peeta was hiding. 

* * *

They stumble upon a cave and look inside it. No one inside or insight.

"This could work?" Katniss said to Peeta, looking over at her partner, who nods at her. She gets him resting against the entrance to the gave, and goes in. She turns around, holding her hand out for Peeta to help him into the cave, and gently laid him down on the ground.

"Are you doing ok?" Katniss asked, resting the back of her hand on Peeta's forehead (something she's seen her mother do to her dad, Prim and herself throughout the years). "God, you're burning up," she sighs, taking off a strip of her shirt, soaking it in the water from the canteen, and resting it on his forehead.

Peeta couldn't say anything, looking up at the girl he loves and adores since he was a young child. 

* * *

It had been hours, now pushing late at night, and Peeta was becoming very fitful and Katniss was getting worried that Peeta's fever might not break.

She reaches into the backpack and pulls out the rolled-up sleeping bag, and tucks it over him. "Come on, Peeta, you've got to pull through," she says.

"I remember the first time I saw you," Peeta speaks up, looking over at Katniss. "Your hair was in two braids instead of one. And I remember when you... you sang in the music assembly and the tears said," Peeta spoke, his eyes glazing over.

"Shhh," Katniss tried to stop him from speaking, not wanting him to exhaust himself.

Despite this, he continued. " _'Who knows The Valley Song?'_ and your hand shot straight up." He took a deep breath and spoke again. "After that, I... I watched you go home every day... Every day," he admitted, making Katniss look at him in awe and shock. He'd had a crush on her that long?

She's silent for longer than Peeta must have expected because he opens his mouth again. "Well, say something," he just put his heart on the line and Katniss was saying nothing.

"I'm not good at saying something," she says simply, twitching one side of her face.

Peeta was still grimacing, "Then come here... please," he begs, and with a slight sigh, she curls into him - almost melting into him, similar to the way her mother is whenever her dad wraps her up in his arms. 

* * *

Phillip was in his home, in the seam, his wife curled into his side (similar to the way that Katniss is curled up against young Peeta Mellark).

"He would have made a fine son-in-law, don't you think, Rosie?" He said, knowing that only one person could go home, he held onto hope that Katniss was the one coming home.

Rose smiles. "Yeah," 

* * *

Rye and Sage were sat in the latter's living room, watching the games, watching their little brother talking to the girl who he would give everything up for. That is kind of scary to think about!

"Katniss would have been a great sister-in-law, wouldn't she?"' Sage said, thinking that the next time he would be seeing you'd baby brother, would be when he comes home in a box to be buried.

"Yeah, she would have been," 

* * *

Peeta still wasn't any better, however his fever had broken at some point during the night. This was something Katniss was glad to see.

"Morning," she said, reaching over to press a kiss to his cheek - feeling a little bit braver in her feelings towards him.

Peeta looks up at her, surprised with what Katniss did. He smiles at her, and Katniss runs her fingers through his hair. 

* * *

After Katniss had spent some of the day hunting for food for them to eat and spent some more cooking her game. She watches over Peeta, a grip on her heart turning into a vice as his leg got worse.

The gamemakers announce that there would be a feast at the Cornucopia, that holds something they need, desperately.

"Your medicine," Katniss said, reaching over for her bow and arrows, not going out for his medicine unarmed.

Peeta sighs, his head rolling on a rock acting as his pillow. "You're not going alone!" He states, starting to sit up, but his leg doesn't allow it.

She raises an eyebrow. "Yeah? You need it, and you can't walk," she replies, throwing the quiver of arrows over her head.

"Katniss, you're not gonna risk your life for me," Peeta says reaching out to hold her hand in his. "I'm not gonna let you," he tells her.

"You would do it for me! Wouldn't you?" Katniss said to him, her braid flying around her head, and looks him directly in the eye.

There was a silent moment between the two, as Peeta looks between Katniss's stormy grey eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" He asks, looking from her eyes to her lips, and then back to her eyes.

Katniss looked between his eyes and his lips (like Peeta did) before she leans down and kisses him for the first time. Her heart fluttered happily. 

* * *

There was some kind of cheeping coming from outside, making Katniss sit up from leaning on Peeta. Her eyebrows crinkled as she looked over at him.

"What's that sound?" Peeta asked as Katniss crawled over to the mouth of the cave.

"I think it's a parachute," she said, getting her bow and arrow, to go collect the parachute. "I'll be back in a second," she reached down and kissed his cheek. 

* * *

Inside the parachute, was sleep syrup - it was something she recognised when miner after miner was nursed back to health on the kitchen worktop. The note from Haymitch stated: _'Use it well.'_

She was forced to push him into some kind of sleep nightmare with the sleep syrup. He sweated as well as tossing and turning. She sighed heavily, with her quiver on her back. She ran her fingers through his blonde hair. "I'll be back soon, Peeta," 

* * *

Katniss came running back into the cave when Peeta was waking up. "Peeta, I got it! I got the medicine!" She said, dropping the bow to the ground, and crouched next to him.

Peeta looked at Katniss and saw a slash on her forehead. "What happened to you?" He asked, reaching over for her head.

"I'm fine," she brushed off, getting the tin of medicine out of the bag.

Peeta watched a bead of blood dribble down her forehead. "No, you're not. What happened?" He asked, watching her unscrew the lid and put it at her side.

"The girl from 2, she threw a knife," Katniss explained, not remembering the name of the girl. "I'm okay," she brushed off.

"You shouldn't have gone! You said you weren't gonna go!" Peeta exclaimed, looking over at her as she started to dig her finger into the medicine, to get it pliable to go on his wound.

Katniss simply stated, "you got worse," not leaving room for him to reply as she applied the cream. Peeta gritted his teeth, his hand curling into a fist. She gently applied it, with careful fingers, going in sooting circles.

"You need some of that too," Peeta speaks up, still looking at Katniss, as a blood droplet falls from her forehead.

"I'm okay," she repeated herself as if trying to prove that she was tougher than she looks.

He lets out a soft sigh, as the stabbing pain from his leg eases off. "That feels better," he says, making Katniss smile softly. There were some good things to come from the Capitol - not many, the medicine that was currently saving Peeta's life is. "Ok. Now you," he says, holding his hand out for the silver container.

"I'm okay," Katniss feels like one of those strange multicoloured birds they learned about in school, years ago.

He sighs again, but this time out of a little frustration. "No, come on. You need it too," he says, Katniss still didn't hand it over, but she knew she was fighting a losing battle. "Come on," he repeats, and Katniss complied.

"Alright," she sighed, holding the tin in her hand, but holding it in a way so Peeta could get some of the cream on his finger. He applied it to her gash with his finger and then rubbed it in with his thumb. 

* * *

The way that the capitol allowed both Katniss and Peeta to win the games, only showed that they would rather have two victors rather than no victors. 

They were lifted out of the arena by a hovercraft, the same kind that brought them to the arena in the first place. Katniss held tightly onto him, as he did the same to her, trying to keep his weight off his bad leg.

Katniss had to go into surgery after her left ear went deaf - after she blew up the careers food supply. After this surgery, she could hear everything - every tiny little breath and movement, louder than before.

Haymitch tried to give Katniss a pep talk, about how she had to fake being in love with Peeta. "What if I am?" she simply said, walking around the alcoholic, and onto the stage.

Katniss walked onto the stage, with a smile on her face, greeting Caesar Flickerman with a hug and took her seat, as Peeta walked from the other side of the stage, almost walking with a limp, but he was walking properly.

She smiled at him, waited for him to walk over to her - she didn't want to run over and knock him to the ground. When he was in front of her, she tightly wrapped her arms around his upper back, pushing her head into his neck. He didn't smell like the bakery.

She didn't like talking in front of the camera, she was grateful that Peeta could tell that she was uncomfortable in front of the camera. 

* * *

They arrived back in District 12, glad to be back from the horrors of the arena. They stood on the stage, in front of the Justice Building, where they reaped for the games almost 3 weeks ago.

Stood in the crowd, was her dad - hand-in-hand with her mother - and Prim sat on his shoulders, waving like mad with a large grin on her face.

"Katniss!" She exclaimed. Katniss waved at her family, with a huge grin on her face, as her other hand was intertwined with Peeta's - who lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it.

This was something he'd seen Katniss's father do to his wife (he'd never seen his parents do that).


End file.
